Official statement of the festival on invitation of artists from Russian cities

15.02.2018

On February 6, the Open Call for applications for the Urban Residency, organized by curatorial group METASITU, was announced in framework of the 5th International Festival of Cinema and Urbanism “86”. According to Terms and Conditions, urban researchers, architects and artists from/residing in/familiar with Baku, Tbilisi, Yerevan, Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, Kyiv, Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Athens and Belgorod, as well as those from Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary are eligible to apply for the residency.

The text below is an official statement of the International Festival of Cinema and Urbanism “86” concerning participation of urban researchers, artists and architects from the Russian cities of St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Moscow and Belgorod in mentioned residency:

– We are working within Slavutych context, including its historical memory, so it’s important to keep it uncensored;

– Turning Slavutych into a central platform for discussion about the post-Soviet (at least in course of the project) means transferring the role of the capital to the periphery, and thereby deconstructing the hierarchy.

– We choose culture and dialogue as future – opposite to war and aggression in present;

– We believe that culture has a peacekeeping and constructive potential;

– Curators are indeed in charge of the projects they are implementing in frames of the festival. They are professionals, so the decisions they make are also professional and have a decent argumentation either aesthetical or political or both.

– Participants are not getting any honoraria, and the money they receive during the residence are spent entirely in Ukraine and facilitate the growth of local business and contribute to Ukrainian state budget in form of taxes.

Extract from the official statement of curatorial group METASITU regarding the Urban Residency at the 5th International Festival of Cinema and Urbanism “86”:

“We are not establishing formal relations with a State, but with individuals. We understand that at times of conflict it is often difficult to distinguish between the two, but it is necessary. And we find that culture has a tremendous potential for opening up these lines of dialogue. Only when we can conceive a different future we can make it possible to work towards it. Where people are treated for what they do, not what they represent.”

“We are not necessarily seeking ‘Russian’ representatives, but people from/resident in/ familiar with Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Belgorod. These cities are inhabited by people from different nationalities, different passports, backgrounds, different political affiliations, and biographies.”

“The residency participants will be selected by the Jury members mentioned in the Open Call based on the merits, engagement to the territory, and ideas expressed by the applicants.”